Hearing God Through a Gentle Thunder

     Max Lucado is one of my favorite authors.  He is to writing, as Thomas Kinkade is to painting.  Max, with his words, paints a picture that moves the soul and heart.  Hearing God through a gentle Thunder is based mostly on the book of John and deals in a Life in the day of the Lord. 
     Without giving away too much of the book, Max tries to guide the reader to the understanding that God will go to any lengths to reach you.  Even in some of the most adverse circumstances, God will use them to help you hear His voice through the storm.
     I strongly encourage any of you that are trying to hear Gods' voice, to pick up a copy of this book, read it, and allow God to speak to your heart.  He is in the storm and He is speaking to you, to guide you safely through to peace.

Average Joe

Troy Meeder's, "Average Joe" was to me somewhat of a disappointment.  Don't get me wrong, he does bring out some great points about God's use of ordinary men, it just seems to me like a warmed over meal.
    Not to be totally negative, Troy does open up and reveal his own struggles in life, ministry and marriage.  I know few people who would do that.  I guess the hard part about accepting Troy as the Average Joe is reading the stories of the places he has been and the experiences he has had. 
    On the positive sides, Troy hits the nail on the head about the problem with marriages....Men are not stepping up to be the Priest of the household.  I can relate to this one, I failed and it cost me my marriage.  Troy's life in ministry and marriage somewhat paralells not just mine, but that of many a pastor.  Sometimes it just takes someone with their name in print to make us understand that, we average joes, make mistakes, but they don't have to be fatal.
    To me the first chapter was perhaps the best.  It set the tone for what the average joe faces.  Monday comes around and we wake up saying, "Oh, man, this is not the life you and I probably thought we would live!"
    "What happened to my life?" is the question Troy ask and then goes onto explain what happened in his life but also what happens in many a life.  We get comfortable, complacent, and find ourselves in the place God never intended for us to be.  Reality comes a calling and we just sit and let it overwhelm us like the waves of an angry ocean.
    After all this, to someone, who like me is looking for some understanding from someone who has been there, "Average Joe" is in my opinion, average with a little bit of common sense thrown in and rewarmed.
  “I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

Why God?

Randy Alcorn hits a grandslam with his 90 Days of God's Goodness.  I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is asking the guestion, "Why, God?"
     Each chapter is a short, 4-5 page daily devotional with scripture, Randy's insight, and personal prayer.  I started reading this book and couldn't put it down.
     Randy may not give you the answer to why God allows some of the bad things to happen in you life in a way that you will agree with, but he does give excellent food for thought.
     I have already found some very useful and moving information in this book.  Two of my favorite chapters, are "Honest Faith" and "Trusting God's Plan".
     I think the best way to sum up this book without given away too much is to say Randy will give you great insight into Jeremiah 29:ll, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
    It is a book well worth the journey it will take you on.  From the introduction to the ending, every word offers comfort, understanding and peace to know that God does have a plan for you, even when life falls apart.
“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.